The Double Helix Nebula
is a gaseous nebula near the center of our galaxy, which is thought to
have been distorted by magnetic torsion into the shape of two connected
spirals, known popularly as a double helix, akin to the shape of DNA.

The
nebula was discovered by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The segment seen
so far is thought to be 80 light years long, 300 light years from the
supermassive black hole thought to be at the galaxy's center, and
25,000 light years from Earth.

This nebula is seen as
circumstantial evidence that the magnetic fields at the center of the
galaxy are extremely strong, more than 1,000 times stronger than those
of the Sun. If so, they may be driven by the massive disc of gas
orbiting the black hole.

The Double Helix Nebula should not be confused with the Helix Nebula, a planetary nebula only 650 light years from Earth